When Everything Goes Wrong
by datexan
Summary: Tenchi just has no luck, or rather no good luck. His day starts out normal, but then turns horribly wrong. Dead Fic... does anyone want to take over this for me?
1. The beginning of the end

Title: When everything goes wrong A Tenchi Muyo Fanfiction Written by Top_Quark and Tex James DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo and its characters do not belong to either of us, though we wish it did. Also, this follows the OVA story line (before GXP and OVA 3) so we made up our own minds about a number of things. One is the nature of Tokimi. As you see later this is our interpretation of her, and probably not, what the designers had in mind.  
  
+++++ Tenchi Muyo: When everything goes wrong: The beginning of the end +++++  
  
Tenchi looked around him everything had gone wrong, his whole world had collapsed on him. It all seemed like a dream, no like a nightmare. It all started after the royal family, his family, had left after their visit. 'I'll never forgive them or Jurai.'  
  
It was a normal day for Tenchi; he had just gotten up and was standing looking out his window. The morning was beautiful to him; he looked at the lake and just stared at the sun shining off it. 'I couldn't be happier,' he thought. He had a wonderful family and wonderful friends, they all loved him and he loved them, though telling them that would cause a war worse than Earth had ever seen.  
  
As he walked down the stairs he noticed how quiet it was, he didn't know if he should be happy about it or worried. He also noticed that he didn't smell any breakfast, fear was what he started feeling as he continued to descend to the first floor. But even here there were no signs of anyone as the living room; dining room and even kitchen were empty. However, he could see a number of things cooking on the stove so he breathed a sigh of relief. Turning the heat down he went to the door and there he noticed the reason no one was seen inside. Outside the house a large ship, almost as big as the one the Emperor left in was hovering nearby.  
  
From here he could see all of the girls were standing around something, presumably a person and the way Ayeka and Ryoko were acting it was not going well. He had gone out to investigate and he found out that indeed, there was someone there, but the news he had was not good news. The man as it turned out was another Emperor, and friend to Ayeka's father, Azusa. However the friendship was a shaky one and with what Tenchi found out about him it did not set with will him.  
  
Tenchi still did not know his name, only that 'Lover boy' as Ryoko called him was there to take Ayeka away and marry her as promised by Azusa. At first he found it hard to believe that her father would force her to marry someone she had never met, but when he found out it was only for a pact between the two empires he had refused to let her go, much to Ryoko's surprise. True Ryoko did not like Ayeka, but even she did not want Ayeka to leave with this guy.  
  
"He's only marrying her to form an alliance! He doesn't even care for her!" Tenchi had said in his defense, which made Ryoko mad, but Ayeka just had stars in her eyes.  
  
"If I care for her or not is of little concern, but what business is it of yours boy," the man had said and looked at Tenchi with cold uncaring eyes. Although Tenchi shared the trait of brown eyes, both girls knew that with Tenchi you could see his concern, while in the other's you saw only callousness.  
  
Where he got the spine from, he didn't know, but the idea of Ayeka being forced into this got to Tenchi, "If you don't care for her then she's not going anywhere."  
  
"Tenchi!" Both girls had said though Ryoko was more hurt by it.  
  
"I mean it, I won't allow anyone to be used like that." He looked at them both and smiled.  
  
"You insignificant whelp!" He roared at Tenchi. "What makes you think you can stop this?"  
  
Ryoko floated up and looked like she was sitting on an invisible chair while laughing, "Oh only the fact that he killed Kagato, defeated Dr Clay and has the light hawk wings, I think you would loose against him. Though I don't see why you don't let her go Tenchi dear."  
  
"Ryoko, I won't let any of you be forced into something like that."  
  
"Ryoko? The Ryoko?" He asked in awe.  
  
"Yep," she smiled devilishly, "The one and only."  
  
"Excellent! As a wedding gift Your Highness I will personally cut off this demons head!" He moved closer to Ryoko only to have Tenchi in the way. "Move it boy unless you wish to die as well!"  
  
"I will not let you harm either of them." He pulled the master key out of his pocket and held it in case he needed it, but their visitor recognized it.  
  
"Is that."  
  
"Yes, the master key of Jurai." Ayeka supplied smugly as he seemed to be very familiar with it.  
  
"But only."  
  
"Yea lover boy, he's a prince of Jurai," Ryoko added as she tried not to laugh behind Tenchi's back at this jerks sudden discomfort. The group of then argued for some time before he left screaming that the Jurai Empire would suffer for this, and now, just three months later they were fighting for their lives.  
  
They where being attacked from all angles, Tenchi was currently flying through space with small fighter ship that Washu had given him just moments before. But no matter how many of the small ships they destroyed twice as many took their place. Ryo-Oki and Yukinojo like him were taking hits, even from where he was he knew that they couldn't take this kind of punishment much longer.  
  
"Mihoshi, Mihoshi, come in!" Yelled Tenchi as he tried to contact Yukinojo from his small ship. "Damn it Mihoshi, answer me!" Finally, a connection was established and he sighed in relief. But as the screened cleared, a feeling of total dread came through him. Instead of Mihoshi being on the screen, it was Yukinojo instead.  
  
On the Yukinojo, the ship's AI was flying the ship. Mihoshi had been knocked unconscious with the last round of attacks and was badly injured. Finally having stabilized the ship, Yukinojo opened a channel to Tenchi. "Tenchi, I am sorry but Mihoshi has been injured and can no longer answer you or control the ship." After that the ship cut the connection and continued to battle the onslaught of enemies.  
  
Tenchi cursed and continued to fight, he knew that Ryoko and Ryo-Oki where doing everything they could so he decided not to distract them. The way the battle was going they where going to lose, he didn't want to lose any of them.  
  
For Ryoko and the others on Ryo-Ohki they where trying their best to calm down and live through the battle. The enemy had come at them out of nowhere and what was frightening was that they knew exactly how the Ryo-Oki fought and how to counter all of her movements. They would have been useless if Ryoko hadn't synchronized with the ship. Being synchronized with Ryo-Oki gave her more firepower and movement, but it just didn't seem to be enough. Outnumbered she continued to try and outmaneuver the enemy ships but their sheer numbers was starting to be too much for even her. The ship was rocked by a large blast as Ryoko screamed, "Ahhhhhh! Damn that hurt."  
  
Washu watched her daughter and a tear left her eyes, 'I never created the link to be used to hurt you my daughter.'  
  
'I know mom, I know. But there's no other way.' Ryoko sighed as she felt the feelings of regret and sorrow coming through her link from her mom.  
  
Ryoko looked out into the battlefield through Ryo-Oki's sensors. It felt surreal, totally different than looking through her own eyes. She could see 360 degrees without turning her head, at first, it had confused her, but with Ryo-Oki's help, she was able to calm herself and use her new vision. Directly in front of them were 20 small fighter ships; while on their left were another 10 warships that had released the smaller ships. Behind her was a combination of both the warships and fighter ships. She was using all of Ryo-Oki's cannons firing all around her below, above, in front, behind, all 360 degrees. She had also been using her powers and firing her energy balls at the larger ships.  
  
'Come on Ryo-Oki let's show them what we can do, lets kick some ass!' At this, the synchronization between the two increased as Ryoko channeled more of her powers and the gem's power through Ryo-Oki's weapons. They started ripping through the 20 ships in front of them like paper. The battle had turned tides but Ryoko just channeled more power.  
  
Suddenly Washu screamed, "Finally it's finished, I am the greatest. Ayeka! Sasami! Come here, I've completed the repairs on the Ryu-Oh, teleport quickly to it and help with the battle; I've also added some plasma cannons on them. They're powered by the light-hawk wings of the ship, and should be as powerful as Ryo-Oki's blasters."  
  
The two princesses and their two wooden guardians nodded and quickly appeared on the bridge. Ayeka looked around the bridge of her beloved ship; she had missed it so much. She quickly stood on the control module and her two guardians flanked her at her sides as they started the power up procedure for the ship. "Bring up all weapons! All screens display the battle! Do not fire upon the Ryo-Oki, Mihoshi, or Tenchi," she said as an afterthought.  
  
"Yes ma'am," the two guardians responded.  
  
"Bring up the Light-hawk wings, we will not go in without protection." She quickly said just as a giant portal appeared in front of the ship and they saw the battle waging quickly. "Sasami can you contact the Tsunami and use it to help in the battle."  
  
"No, she says she can't interfere. I have tried everything I can but she won't," tears left the small princess' eyes as she remembered begging the Goddess to help her.  
  
"Very well, you can help me control the ship," seeing how her sister felt useless, Ayeka decided to have her help her control Ryu-Oh. 'Besides with Sasami able to control the ship's wings better she could use them for offensive purpose as a last resort.'  
  
Sasami smiled at her sister, "Thank you sister."  
  
Tenchi was at the brink of breaking down, his friends where getting hurt and he couldn't do more than just use the ship Washu had given to him. No matter how he maneuvered and no matter how many he destroyed, he couldn't really do much damage to the enemy lines; he was getting desperate to end the battle. He had tried multiple times to summon his Light-hawk Wings but they still evaded him. He knew that they only came when he needed them most and he was starting to think it was time he took a risk. 'I must protect them, my life is nothing without them.'  
  
He charged the main fleet, over 100 ships stood in front of him firing at him, but finally the multitude of hits destroyed his ship; along with everyone's hope.  
  
The end was what was going through all the girls' minds, but out of the blast and rubble came out four wings of light. He had never felt so much anger before. He always managed to control it and wisely go into battle, but he had reached his limit. This enemy was trying to destroy his life and his loved ones; they did not deserve mercy. 'Must die,' was the only thing flashing through his mind.  
  
He let his anger fuel him; letting it control his powers and letting it expand them. 'They must pay,' he formed the four wings around him into a circle and started expanding it, as it reached the enemy ships nearest to him, they started exploding. Instead of changing the energy around them to a useless form as they where designed to do, the wings where changing the energy to pure explosive energy.  
  
Within the enemies' main flagship the commander muses as he watches Tenchi, "Now I see you are taking this seriously. Very well, so will I." He turns to his commanders. "Eliminate the small ships and concentrate on him."  
  
Tenchi thought with his wings he could save the others, but to his horror, he sees Ryo-Ohki, Yukinojo, and Ryo-Oh get pounded harder and harder than they were before. In his mind, he realized they were just playing with him and the girls to get him mad. Seeing the explosions along the ships and hearing his friends cry out in pain Tenchi looks back at the encroaching fleet, his eyes glowing red and full of hate.  
  
On the outer boarder of the fight the Tsunami stood watching the battle, 'This is not what I wanted.' A tear left the Goddess's eye as she saw her friend and loved one doing so much destruction. She watched as the wings that her Tenchi produced where pulsing with energy and fluctuating between yellow, blue, and dark red; the later color representing his anger, his hatred, and his desire to totally destroy his enemy at any cost.  
  
She continued to watch him totally give himself to his anger as he transformed the wings into another circle but with extending spikes coming from them. He was charging the enemy and devastating their ranks. 'All the lives that are being destroyed because of their leader.' She hated knowing that most of the fighter pilots fought out of honor and loyalty to their leader, and not hatred towards Tenchi and the others. The spikes started spitting out sort bursts of red light-hawk energy at the larger ships, as he continued to plow through the enemies' ranks.  
  
As Tenchi is destroying the ships and the people within them, a flash of light appeared next to Tsunami. "Hello Sister! What do you think you're doing? You, the one who loves life, your avatar is destroying lives!" Tokimi shouted at the goddess Tsunami.  
  
Tsunami bowed her head and the sorrow could be felt in her words, "I never wanted this!"  
  
Tokimi glared at her sister. "You said that he loved life like you did! You even said he felt bad for killing Kagato."  
  
"I did, he did! But."  
  
Happy that she had one over her sister, she continued to rip into her, "No buts, he has lost his control, and he is lost to even us now."  
  
Yukinojo dodged through the sea of ships, but the hits it was receiving was about to finally penetrate its shields. "I am sorry Mihoshi," the ship said as it was destroyed. Its only living passenger was not even conscious to feel the vast amounts of pain that the explosion entailed.  
  
Tenchi watched as his friend was destroyed, his rage reached a new level, seeing that he had no other options. He pulled out the Tenchi-ken out, hoping that he could pull power from it. Knowing that it was powered by Tsunami, he figured he could draw power from her. 'I've got to increase my power. I've got to kill them all!'  
  
The Tenchi-ken floated in front of Tenchi; he concentrated on his rage and anger thereby creating another light-hawk wing. He brought the wing onto the Tenchi-ken and started converting the energy of the Tenchi-ken and everything attached to it into energy he could use. For a brief moment all action paused as a flash of light illuminated all areas of space around the battle. The smaller attack ships even stopped to look as did Ryoko and Ayeka. The two goddesses looked in horror at what was happening and Tsunami could fell herself being drained.  
  
"No! Tenchi don't do this!" Tsunami called out as she felt her power being used to destroy. Tokimi was suddenly filled with fear and something else, something she had not felt in many thousands of years as she watched Tsunami fall to her knees.  
  
Ryoko suddenly felt a drain as energy was flowing through her, she spared a glance at Tenchi and she screamed in fear as she saw the red of his wings. Ayeka too could feel the drain and she did not like it. "Tenchi!" She screamed as she felt her ships movement become sluggish.  
  
His power surged and he could feel an indescribable power flow through him, it would have been a pleasurable one had this been different circumstance. "You. must. DIE!" Even his voice was taking on a new characteristic. It seemed to come from a god, not a man as it echoed through space even though there were no way it should.  
  
"WASHU!" Tokimi called and using her power she summoned the small scientist.  
  
Washu who had been monitoring the fight from her lab suddenly found herself standing on the Bridge of the Tsunami with the goddess Tsunami on her knees barely holding herself up, "Tsunami!" She called the helped lift her to her feet.  
  
"Washu, call the gems!"  
  
Hearing a new voice Washu spun around and she saw a woman with brown hair and purple eyes staring back at her. She looked familiar and she knew that she knew this woman before, 'but how did she know about the gems? And why should I call them?'  
  
"Call them before it's too late!" She said again urgently and pointing to the display showing the battle.  
  
She looked at it hesitantly, as she didn't like being ordered around; then she felt fear and pain from Ryoko. 'Ryoko are you ok?' She called out to her daughter.  
  
'Tenchi. he's using my power. I-I can't.' She stopped and screamed as the smaller ships suddenly resumed their fighting with Ayeka and Ryoko's ships taking more punishment than they were meant to.  
  
"What's going on here?" Washu cried out as she saw Tenchi's power expanding.  
  
"Tsunami's avatar is pulling her power and the power from your avatar as well, unless you call the gems to you now he will absorb them completely, and then all is lost," the woman said urgently.  
  
"She's right Washu," Tsunami added weakly.  
  
"He's using the gems and the key to gain power. I cannot stop this alone and if he absorbs the gems, there will be no stopping him. Call them now!" The woman declared again and Washu could tell that she was nervous.  
  
Washu was about to call them when she felt pain from Ryoko again. "Ryoko!"  
  
"AYEKA! SASAMI!" Tsunami screamed as she clutched tighter onto Washu, the two with her looked through the display to see that Ayeka's ship was wounded badly and large chunks were missing, but the fighters continued to blast away at it as it tried to return fire. Washu could tell that there was only one of her cannons remaining on it. "I've got to save her." Tsunami said before falling unconscious just seconds before the ship exploded.  
  
"AYEKA! SASAMI!" Everyone screamed out, none more than Tenchi. Ryoko and Ryo-Ohki felt an incredible pain at their loss and they tried to make their enemies pay for this, but Tenchi only pulled more power from the gems.  
  
"I will try to protect her, but you must call them," The woman demanded again. "They're yours and they'll listen to you."  
  
Closing her eyes Washu pictured the gems, and she hesitantly and nervously called out to them, "return to me." Before she could even finish the words three red gems appeared in her hands. "OH GOD!" She screamed out as their power filled her.  
  
"That's Goddess," Tokimi added lifting Tsunami off Washu so the transformation could complete. Looking back out the display, she placed a barrier around the almost crippled Ryo-Ohki as both Ryo-Ohki and Ryoko were suddenly cut off from each other and their power source.  
  
Tenchi felt the sudden loss of power both the gems and from Tsunami from the Tenchi-ken, which only fueled his anger more as he saw Ayeka's ship explode. "DAMN YOU TSUNAMI!" He screamed in outrage, as he knew they were lost. Tenchi had been trying to hold back to keep his friends from getting hurt, even in his anger he knew they were there, but he was loosing his grip on sanity and his rage. Both were becoming impossible to control and then suddenly Ryo-Ohki was gone, and with her Ryoko as well, he had seen the ship and then a light of some sort enveloped it, and they were gone.  
  
He had been holding back his power before as he thought of his friends and making sure they survived, but they where gone now, 'I have. nothing to live for anymore.. Let's end this.' And with that thought, he fully opened himself up to his power, he had always been afraid of it. It always seemed easier to understand tapping into another's power, because it's like his sword, 'Just concentrate and its there.' He didn't have to think where it came from; he knew that another being was providing it. 'But now I understand, I had everything I needed within me!' Nothing was held back as his tears fell, "RYOKO!" He screamed, then the grip on his control, his anger, his power was gone; he totally surrendered himself to the power that he always was afraid of, he became the power itself.  
  
'Nothing to live for, Nothing to live for, nothing to live for!' He kept repeating the phrase over and over in his mind as he solidified his power into a sphere around him. That sphere then expanded it at the speed of light destroying not only all the enemy ships, but also destroying planets, as it went, not slowing as it stretched out in all directions around him. The solar system was being destroyed with Earth as the first casualty.  
  
The two goddesses looked at the destruction, 'I never thought he would realize how to do that!' Tokimi said in awe. He had poured all his energy, even his life energy into one huge shock wave that expanded in all directions. The wave of destruction was converting all the energy around it to energy needed for its expansion, 'Nothing can escape that.' "Washu we must stop that shock wave, together we can absorb the energy expelled, if we don't then it will continue to expand until it has destroyed this universe."  
  
"But Tenchi is dying, we have to save him." The Goddess looked at her friend, about to extend her renewed powers to save her loved one.  
  
"No, his fate is sealed. Now we must either stop the wave or leave this universe before it starts to affect us." Tokimi glared at her sister as she waited for the answer.  
  
Unknown to Tenchi or the two Goddesses, Tenchi's attempt at suicide had failed. 'I guess trying to expend every last bit of energy won't work.' He thought has he realized he was regenerating. He looked around at the devastation he created and started crying ignoring that he was in space and was still alive. In his mind, he could fell the energy stretching out destroying and growing as it went.  
  
'Nothings left. there're gone. all of them. even her.' Tenchi continued to think about his family, his friends, those that he loved and now he had lost them all. He didn't even have anywhere to return to, where the Earth should have been was nothing, not even chunks of rock could be seen. Gathering some energy, he formed just one wing and with it, he opened a doorway. 'Guess Washu was right about these. they can create doorways.' In the recesses of his mind he could hear one of the many lectures Washu had given him about his wings and dimensional gateways and subspace, but it didn't matter to him anymore. Where this one led to he did not know, but he did not think about that, instead he just wanted to be alone, to escape the pain of where he was. But no matter where he went he could hear the startled screams of millions of people before his power destroyed them.  
  
The two goddess had totally ignored what Tenchi was doing, having other problems to worry about. They had first tried to contain it, but that resulted in only slowing it down for a moment before it sped not just up to how fast it had been moving but faster. "Washu, you've got to try harder!"  
  
"Damn it Tokimi, I am, I just got my powers back and they're not up to full power yet!" Washu was beginning to wonder which was better, knowing who you are and who your sisters are, or living without any knowledge of your past. With the gems return so had her memories, she could recall everything now, not that it helped though.  
  
"Let's try again," Tokimi said but before they could act, a weak voice spoke up.  
  
"No sisters, let me help."  
  
"Tsunami!" Both called out to her and helped their sister to her feet.  
  
"I'm sorry for worrying you Little Washu."  
  
"Sasami!" The redhead shrieked.  
  
"Yes, and no, but now is not the time." she pushed herself up and began calling on her power, "I'm sorry sister", Sasami said quietly. When she saw the energy wave, she gasped out. "What has he done?"  
  
"Your avatar is destroying this dimension, he is turning it into another void," Tokimi said smugly.  
  
"No he mustn't!"  
  
"Then help us stop it!" Washu added.  
  
"Ok I will."  
  
The three goddesses placed them selves around the increasing wave and concentrating on it, and only it they hoped to stop it's increase. As the wave neared them it began to slow down, though it took a lot of effort on their part. Soon however the three were able to stop its progress, but not before it reached Jurai. Looking at it, they focused their thoughts on it and it began to shrink, slowly at first then faster and faster. They had to keep their concentration, or they would only succeed in turning the energy into a black hole and still end up destroying everything. None of them had time to think of the lives that were lost, the planets that were destroyed or even the fact that there was nothing remaining in the areas of space that the wave had touched. Even Tsunami could not think of her beloved people that had just been destroyed before they could even realize they were in danger.  
  
Finally, after much thought and concentration the three had been able to contain the energy. But what to do with it was another matter. With the energy that was released it could not just be nullified or released, instead they had to decide on how to use it. Both Washu and Tsunami knew what Tokimi's ideas would be, but they needed a better solution.  
  
The three gathered on Tsunami's ship again to talk about what to do, when Washu brought up a sore subject. "Where's Tenchi?" All three scanned the space around them and Tenchi was not there, they could not even find him in this dimension. "Where'd he go?"  
  
Tokimi just looked at her and just asked plainly, "Why do you care?"  
  
"Because. well." try as she might Washu just could not answer right away, as she did not even know why she cared. Because of him she had lost her daughters, her everything.  
  
"Because he has too much power now," Tsunami added. "To leave him alone could be dangerous. The power he now holds could very well destroy everything unless we intervene." Inside she was still hurting over the loss of her sister, it just did not seem possible that it had happened, and then she felt the souls of her people crying out and she realized that her people were gone. Looking quickly at the space Jurai had been in she saw nothing, just an empty void. "NO! Not them! Not all of them!"  
  
The others looked at Tsunami and nodded in understanding. They knew the pain she was feeling, and the loss of so much. Their sister had been the only one to take a planet for herself, and now they were gone. "Sister," Tokimi added, "he needs to be stopped."  
  
+++++ To Be Continued +++++ This will be continued following two very different plots. One will be Written by Tex (Datexan) and the other by Top Quark. Both will be posted, but not in the same place. 


	2. Deja Vu, or is it?

Title: Tenchi Muyo: Daja Vu, or is it? A Tenchi Muyo Fanfiction Written by Tex James and Top_Quark DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo and its characters do not belong to either of us, though we wish it did. Also, this follows the OVA story line (before GXP and OVA 3) so we made up our own minds about a number of things. One is the nature of Tokimi. As you see later this is our interpretation of her, and probably not, what the designers had in mind.  
  
+++++ Tenchi Muyo: Daja Vu, or is it? +++++  
  
Closing their eyes the three concentrated and despite Tenchi's efforts to remain isolated and alone they found him and pulled him to them. He fell out of a void into the midst of the three. They had him surrounded, not to attack but to contain. If he were to lash out at them, it would take their combined powers to stop him. However he did not attack, at least not physically. "Why'd you bring me here? I just want to be left alone. they're gone. all of them."  
  
"Tenchi," Washu said gaining his attention, "we did everything we could."  
  
"It wasn't enough! They're gone! I've failed them." he fell to the floor weeping bitterly and each of the three around him felt sorry for him and were at a loss of how to handle his grief.  
  
"Tenchi, If I could I'd go back in time and save every one of them.. They didn't deserve this." Tsunami wept as well as she had lost her sister, her best friends and her people in one day.  
  
Washu also was crying, she could feel the pain that Sasami and Tsunami shared as well as the loss of her own children. The only one not affected was Tokimi. "Tenchi," the third goddess said getting him to look at her. "If I were to tell you that all is not lost would you help save them?"  
  
"I'd give my life to save them!"  
  
The others looked at Tokimi and she lifted up her hand. From the floor emerged the sleeping forms of Ryo-Ohki, and Ryoko. "RYOKO!" Both Tenchi and Washu yelled, but the girl did not wake up.  
  
"I was able to protect her, from further injuries, but the damage she has sustained may cause her to die despite my efforts. She sleeps now." She stopped as he was suddenly holding her up off the floor.  
  
"I won't let her die!"  
  
"I know, Tsunami has given us the way to save them all." She stressed the all not just for him, but for her sister as well. He set her down as she continued. "With the energy that Tenchi released we can use it to turn back time, and stop the damage before it is too late."  
  
"How!" Washu demanded thought she was looking at her daughters. They were in bad shape and she was not sure if even her skills could save them.  
  
"We can reverse the power put into the energies and which will reverse time."  
  
"For how long?" He asked  
  
"If you like we can put you back in your mothers womb," the goddess said.  
  
"But if all these things are fated to happen what could change the course of fate? Even we do not have that power," Tsunami added as she thought about how they could do that, and trying to force the thought of the countless peoples that were now dead.  
  
"We don't have all the power, but with his help we could."  
  
All eyes turned to Tenchi as he looked at Ryoko. "I'd give my life to save them."  
  
"Very well, we will make the preparations. Tsunami, you will need to remove the girl from you, just as Washu will need to put her memories back into the gems."  
  
"What! I've just got my powers and memories back!"  
  
"If we reverse time and do not do this it will cause problems. Only myself and Tenchi will retain our memories."  
  
"But why sister?" Tsunami asked concerned.  
  
"If you do not wipe your own and the girls memories then she will remember everything about being one of us, and to have that knowledge in a mortal is dangerous." Tsunami nodded in understanding as her sister explained it. "As for you Washu," she said facing the scientist turned goddess. "They will have need of your gems again, and just like the girl Sasami, having the knowledge you do now will be dangerous for them, and you."  
  
"Damn it! I've spent 20,000 years trying to get my memories back!"  
  
"Yes, and as we agreed before then if you recall now, you will get your memories back, but not now."  
  
Washu looked at her daughter and she could see Tenchi standing beside the bed holding her daughters' hand. "Ok, I'll do it."  
  
"Very well."  
  
Washu then went to see her daughter and she brushed her daughters' hair back, "Washu." he said cautiously. "When I go back, I'll tell her the truth, I'll tell her. I promise."  
  
"I know you will," she said smiling. Washu and Tsunami then left Tokimi and Tenchi standing beside Ryoko's bed.  
  
"I thought that doctor wanted to take Washu to see you?"  
  
"He did, but he misunderstood the reason I wanted to see my sisters."  
  
"I guess we all did." The two stood in silence for quite some time before he turned to her, "Why are you helping me?"  
  
She smiled warmly at him, "Because, they are not my only family." Her form shifted and she became much older looking and as soon as the transformation was over Tenchi could not believe his eyes.  
  
"Grandma." he said as she opened her arms up and he dove into them hugging her tightly. "Why? How?"  
  
"Many years ago I watched as my sisters creations fought on your planet. I thought that he would have killed her when he won, but he spared her life and just imprisoned her. To Tsunami and my surprise he wished to remain on earth and I was curious what would case him to wish to stay there."  
  
"But how. you're my."  
  
"I know, after watching for a few hundred years I wasn't content just watching so I acted. A young woman was mortally wounded and I let her spirit go to the heavens while I repaired and assumed control of her body." She stroked his hair as he cried softly, "Over time I realized that not only was I feeling what the human body does, but I was feeling it's emotions as well. So one night when he proposed to me, I couldn't say no, I wouldn't say no. In time, your mother was born and as she grew, I was happy just living my life on earth. But after she." She stopped as she tried in vain to stop her own tears. "I loved her so much, my first, my only child. When I lost her, I lost my reason for staying and let my body deteriorate. Every time I saw you I saw her. and." She gave up on talking and hugged him close as they two cried over her lost daughter, and his lost mother.  
  
"We are ready," a voice intoned behind them and Tenchi looked up to see that the goddess had assumed her normal form again.  
  
"Good, as the energy is released I will be able to control it with Tenchi's help and then place him back into this dimension at the appropriate time."  
  
"Tenchi," Tsunami added quietly. When he looked at her, he could see that she was crying. "Do you know what happened?"  
  
"Yes, I could feel the energy destroying as it went, I don't even know the names to all the planets I destroyed." He looked down and he looked so pitiful that she almost considered not telling him.  
  
"Tenchi, you know a few of them."  
  
"Yes, the earth, is gone, but the only other place I know of is.." He suddenly stopped as he looked at her with his eyes wide.  
  
"Yes Tenchi, Jurai is gone. My people, my home. my." she started crying harder as Sasami's emotions were still lingering in her system.  
  
"Oh god no!" He pleaded but she just nodded her head. Tenchi then joined her crying for several minutes before Washu came to get them.  
  
Washu and Tsunami nodded and they began to process. Both of them were never quite sure of their sister's motives and both feared that she would use this to her gain later, but for now they had to trust her, and both hoped that this trust was not misguided. Tenchi though did not doubt Tokimi in the least, if what she told him was true then that would mean that he had a little of her power in him as well.  
  
Tokimi then created a portal, "Tenchi step through here. This will take you to my domain. There my servant D3 can monitor us and I will join you soon in there." He did not even have to think twice before jumping through eagerly.  
  
"What did you say to him," Tsunami asked enraged.  
  
"That does not concern you, but you should know that I will uphold my end of the bargain and no harm will come to him."  
  
"Will you still put him back in his own time?"  
  
"I do not think I could keep him away from her," she said waving an arm in Ryoko's direction. She smiled slightly as she remembered the love she used to feel. 'A gift to you Ryoko, my niece,' she said to herself as she put Ryoko back into the other dimension, 'When the time is right you will remember all this as well.'  
  
The three of them started the process of using the energy Tenchi released to reverse time. From Tokimi's dimension, Tenchi watched as time began to work in reverse. "Wow!" He breathed as time began to move backwards rapidly. Tokimi soon approached him.  
  
"My child how far back to you wish to go?"  
  
He turned to see his grandmother again and he hugged her tightly. "I don't know, I've got to tell her how I feel, I need to tell her before things get out of hand."  
  
"Then do you wish to return to when you let her out of the cave?"  
  
"You don't sound like you approve of that?"  
  
She laughed slightly, "You are like your mother." Letting out a sigh she told him, "No I don't approve of going back that far, it would not be right."  
  
"But why not?"  
  
"If you told her then, she would not be ready for it, it was not until later that she, and you really began to care for each other."  
  
"Oh," he looked down completely dejected. "I thought if I told her at the beginning then it would stop all the fights."  
  
"But if they did not fight then Mihoshi would not have joined you, and without Mihoshi then Washu would not have been released. And."  
  
"And without Washu being released we never would have defeated Kagato or Clay." She just smiled again as he began to understand that everything that seems to be chaos in his life actually served some purpose. "What about when I faced Kagato? Washu was release by then and we were all together?"  
  
"That should be ok, but when you return to your normal time even though you remember all this, your power will take some time to build up."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Right now you have been able to call on the Light Hawk Wings and have almost mastered them, but with the energy you released you have not had a chance to gain that back."  
  
"I see, so I'll have to use the sword again."  
  
"Yes, but only for a short time." She looked up and could see that they were nearing the point that he wanted to rejoin his time. "Please, tell him I love him still. I may be able to visit you both again someday."  
  
"I will, I love you grandma," he gave her one last hug before she created a portal for him to step through.  
  
As he stepped through he felt a tremendous pain, but he kept moving, the pain he would not find out till later was his body merging with his body from that time period forming one new body as it stepped through the portal. Blinking his eyes he realized he was holding a crying Ryoko while just a few feet ahead of him, Kagato was staggering backwards holding his arm.  
  
"Tenchi?" She asked as it she was looking up at a dead man.  
  
He smiled as he looked at her, as just moments ago he had thought she was dead, but now he was holding her again. "Don't worry Ryoko, I'm here now," he told her softly then kissed her forehead before he prepared to fight Kagato.  
  
Below, in the reverse world, Ayeka was watching the exchange and she was fuming, once she got over the initial shock that he was still alive. "How dare she trick him into doing that! She was just pretending to be hurt to get to him!"  
  
"In another dimension Tokimi watched her grandson fight Kagato while Ayeka ranted and raved about him kissing that devil woman. "My poor Tenchi, even this has not stopped the fights between them."  
  
"My lady," A feminine voice called from behind her.  
  
"You, don't have to call me that." She then turned around smiling as one of her shadowed guardians stepped up beside her.  
  
"How is my son? Is he still doing all right? I've tried to keep an eye on him, but D3 won't let me watch."  
  
"Yes, he's doing fine." Tokimi watched Tenchi as Achika walked up beside her and the two watched as he formed the Light hawk for what was supposed to be his first try.  
  
"I wish I could've seen him again."  
  
"I know, my daughter. But that would have just caused more hurt for the both of you. you. would have been proud of him," she said with pride. They watched Tenchi rush Kagato and at the last moment he ducked under Kagato's exposed left side killing him, but this time he did not get a scratch. "He's getting much better, I only hope we can change the future."  
  
"I know mom," the woman said then placed an arm around her. Mother and daughter watched as Ryoko tried to stop the others from getting to Tenchi as she proclaimed that she was going to be first.  
  
"Hello, My name is Washu. Would you like to be my guinea pig?"  
  
"Let me think about it Little Washu."  
  
"What? How'd you know to call me that?" He chuckled as she looked at him strangely.  
  
"HAY!" Ryoko shouted as she was crowded out, and instead of being first, she nearly lost her chance as Tenchi and the others fled the Soujya before it exploded. When they returned to Earth the boy again had several women fighting over him, though both watchers knew that he had already chosen, but how long would it take for their soft hearted Tenchi to actually say it.  
  
"You know," Tokimi said smiling, "you could have saved him a lot of problems if you would have just done as I asked, and had a girl."  
  
"OH MOM!"  
  
+++++ APOLOGIES +++++ I would like to make one apology, no that is not for changing Tokimi or throwing Achika in there at the end, I want to apologize to Doug Dennis and my shameless theft of his idea for Tokimi & Yosho's connection from his story, "Uninhibited Consequences." Sorry! 


	3. Was it all A Dream?

Title: Tenchi Muyo: Was it all a dream? (Tenchi Muyo OVA Episode 7: The Night Before the Carnival) A Tenchi Muyo Fanfiction Written by Tex James and Top_Quark DISCLAIMER: Tenchi Muyo and its characters do not belong to either of us, though we wish it did. Also, this follows the OVA story line (before GXP and OVA 3) so we made up our own minds about a number of things. One is the nature of Tokimi. As you see later this is our interpretation of her, and probably not, what the designers had in mind.  
  
+++++ Tenchi Muyo: Was it all a dream? +++++ Tenchi Muyo Episode 7: The Night Before the Carnival. again.  
  
++ NOTE: For those that notice, yes I know that some of the things said (especially by Washu) were not following the dubbed version. And since I don't speak Japanese, I had to follow the subtitles and a script that I received. So I know things said here are deferent that in the dubbed version, but personally the subtitles are much funnier! ++  
  
'Nightmares, dreams, visions. what is the difference between them all?' Wondered Tenchi as he slept. Yesterday, well the yesterday that he knew he destroyed the Earth, Jurai and many more planets than he could count. But today, he was back on the Earth, and yesterday never happened, at least not yet. For everyone else yesterday was filled with excitement, Kagato was dead, and Tenchi had defeated him, but Tenchi's done that twice now. At least twice that he could remember killing him twice.  
  
But one thing he did know, he knew that when he opens his eyes he'll see Ryoko there, as he remembered. 'She'll have blood shot eyes as though she's been up all night. Not that I can blame her. I. I had trouble going to sleep as well last night.' The first time he had killed Kagato had been tough on him. To actually kill a man was one thing, but now he had killed that same man twice. This time he knew what Kagato would try, and reason told him that he should have tried to talk him out of it. But he also knew that Kagato would never listen to him, 'Why should he?'  
  
There was another matter though that weighted heavily on him. 'What do I do now?' He knew the future, he knew what would happen, and some of it he had to allow, but some of it he could not. 'I told her I hate her. How could I do that? How can I do that again?' In the recesses of his mind, he knew that because of what he said Ryo-Ohki got her human form. He was still uncertain of how it all happened, but she became humanoid because of what he said. His one saving thought though was that he didn't have to worry about that yet, 'That doesn't happen today, but should I let it happen at all?'  
  
Opening his eyes slowly he was greeted by the sight of Ryoko's bloodshot eyes, the lines on them were very apparent because of how close she was, but this time he was not scared. He knew that before he was, but he could not remember why. 'She was worried about me, why should I run from her.'  
  
"Good morning." She said and even her voice sounded tired.  
  
"Good morning Ryoko," he said flashing her a slight smile. "Um, can I get up now?"  
  
"Huh. Oh yea." She seemed suddenly in a daze.  
  
"Here, why don't you lay down for a bit," he said getting out of his bed. She just stared at him strangely, and he wondered what she was thinking. "You need your rest too, thanks for watching over me, but I have work to do."  
  
"Wha.. oh.. ok." She then lay down in his bed and he covered her up. Even before she was covered up completely, she was asleep.  
  
"She must have been tired." he said then leaning over he gave her a quick kiss on the forehead. 'I wish I could tell you now.' Ryoko just mumbled something as she pulled the covers tighter to her, obviously already asleep.  
  
Stepping out of his room he closed the door lightly and made his way to the bathroom, and even this had an element of déjà vu for him, but one thing was different. Ryoko was asleep in his bed, not floating behind him and not sticking her head through the wall as he tried to use the bathroom. 'Or was this how things were supposed to happen?' He thought. 'Was all that a bad dream. just a bad dream?'  
  
After getting cleaned up he looked at his hand and noticed the ring there. He knew that it had been given to him, and he knew it was his Juraian armor. However, he knew more about it this time. "If that wasn't a dream then when I activate this." He gave it a slight twist and the Armor formed around him. ".There won't be a nut on the floor." He looked down and to his shock there it lay. Picking it up he looked at it. "So it did happen, I did do all those things. I-I killed so many people." He sat down on the floor and just cried over the loss of so many people, it seemed impossible for him to imagine killing that may, but he did it, simply to kill one man who hurt, no killed his friends.  
  
"Tenchi." A voice called to him and he turned around to see Tokimi sitting on the edge of the bathtub.  
  
"I. I killed them. so many of them."  
  
"Shhh," she said pulling him close so she could hug him. "We've taken care of them, everyone was brought back, even those you care about. It hasn't happened yet."  
  
"Yet, but it could right?"  
  
"It is still a possibility, it depends on your actions. You know what happens if you follow the same path, but you must learn from it," she held him close as he cried for a few more minutes and she hoped that Tsunami would not detect her presence. To expose who she was, this soon would be disastrous.  
  
"What. what do I do now?"  
  
"Do what your heart tells you," she gave him one final hug, "I must go now, but I will be close by to help."  
  
"Thanks. grandma," he said smiling. Picking up the nut again he dried his eyes and stepped out into the hall forgetting that he still had his armor activated.  
  
"Oh Lord Tenchi."  
  
That voice made him stop, and turn around. He had been about to go into his room again, when he heard Ayeka's voice. "Oh, Ayeka, I have something for you."  
  
"Oh, what is it?"  
  
He held out the nut in his hand, "Tsunami said it was Ryu-Oh."  
  
"Ah." she took Tenchi's hand, "Thank you Tenchi."  
  
"It's no problem." he stopped as he realized he had said all of this in the past and he mentally sighed.  
  
"Oh you see with this I can bring Ryoko-oh."  
  
"Back to life." They both said.  
  
"You know about this too?"  
  
"Um, well.. I've learned a lot lately." he chuckled trying to cover it up, he really didn't want to tell her about what happens in the future.  
  
After taking it from him, she left to go see Washu while he went back into his room where Ryoko was still asleep. He moved over to her and after deactivating the armor he sat down on the edge of the bed, just watching her. So many times, he could recall where she was watching him, and now that he was watching her, it seemed almost surreal.  
  
"I don't know what to do, or even which way to go from here. I want to make the right choices. I don't. I don't want to loose any of you." He spoke softly to her hoping to not wake her up, as he could only imagine the things that went through her mind after she watched him die. 'No, I know what went through your mind, I thought he same things. I had to take some of dad's sleeping pills just to go to sleep last night. I hope I don't have to make a habit out of that.' He ran his fingers through her hair one last time before he made his way out to the fields.  
  
While out in the fields he thought he would have plenty of time to think, and to decide on what to do, but he was only left with more problems. He didn't know of anyone he could talk to about this. If he talked to Tsunami he might mention Tokimi, she did not want him to say anything about her yet, and Ryoko and Ayeka were out as well. He might be able to talk to Washu about it, but he knew she was a goddess now, even if she didn't remember it. 'Well I guess talking to her is out, I might slip up and tell her that,' he chuckled at that thought, 'yea right like she will believe that.'  
  
He looked down to see Ryo-Ohki hopping around. "Look. All these carrots will be for you," he said then laughed as the cabbit began to dig got them. 'Maybe all my memories aren't bad ones,' he thought as he pulled the cabbit out of the dirt. "They don't grow that fast," he said chuckling though he knew that last time he was slightly annoyed as he said it.  
  
Ryo-Ohki looked so disappointed that he almost laughed, "You have to wait." He the placed her on his shoulder as she began crying. "Don't worry, I'm sure when we get home there will be plenty of them waiting for you," he told her though she just about raced back to the house that instant.  
  
When Ryoko woke up, she felt good and more refreshed than she ever had before. As she stretched out, she realized the reason. She was in his bed. and with his permission! Reaching around her lazily a moment she hoped he was still nearby; however, she soon discovered he wasn't. Getting up she phased to the beam in the living room to think, but as luck would have it she was disturbed.  
  
Below her, she could hear Mihoshi giggling about something. "Oh I wonder what she'll do now." the blonde babbled, as she appeared to be reading. "Fumi missed her chance again, she's so clumsy." She giggled a moment as Ryoko looked over her shoulder.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
"Oh I just love these romance comics," she continued to say ignoring Ryoko.  
  
Behind her, she heard Sasami sighing happily. Moving closer she could tell that whatever it was the little princess was enjoying. She moved up on the table and looked at the princess carefully who was still not paying attention that anyone was nearby. Making a face at her Sasami finally came out of her dream and yelped in surprise. "Ryoko, it's only you."  
  
"What are you two doing?"  
  
"We are reading girls' comics," she said turning her head to the side.  
  
"Girls' comics? What is that?" Ryoko said sounding mildly interested.  
  
"Stories about a boy and a girl falling in love."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"They're about the art of love, Earth-style. It's a handbook on how to win the love of someone you love."  
  
"Earth-style?" Ryoko was beginning to get interested and then she made the connection, "You mean like how to get Tenchi's love?"  
  
"Hmm. I think so." Sasami told her. Ryoko stretched out her hands for the book, wondering if it would help her win Tenchi's love. She hoped it would help, she could remember him holding her and that brief kiss and she longed for more of them. After handing over the book Sasami told her, "Well, I have to make breakfast." As Sasami left Ryoko looked at the book and she had a strange feeling, this felt familiar to her, but she couldn't really put her finger on why.  
  
When Tenchi finished what he needed to do, he returned home with Ryo-Ohki for some much needed breakfast. Entering the kitchen door, he could smell the food the little princess was making. "Sasami, I'm home."  
  
"Hello, Tenchi. Breakfast is coming up." She replied happily.  
  
"Then I'll go get everyone."  
  
"Good. Ayeka is at Washu's now." She told him with a smile though he felt dread.  
  
"She's at Washu's?" He said then mumbled, "I'd rather not go there." Looking at Ryo-Ohki he added, "Well, be right back." Just a short distance away he was standing in front of Washu's door. He knew what would happen when he went in, but what he did not know was should he allow it to happen or not? 'Oh man, this just is not getting any easier. She's a goddess, well she doesn't remember it yet. but I don't want to make her angry.' Nervously he knocked on the door and entered.  
  
"Little Washu?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Little Washu, breakfast is ready." He did a quick look to the sides and remembered Ayeka would not be there, but he didn't remember where she was. "Oh, I thought Ayeka was with you."  
  
"Um, I'm sure Ayeka is in the unit... Planting carrots or something." She said as Ryo-Ohki hopped off happily at the mention of her favorite food.  
  
"Hey, Ryo-Ohki!"  
  
"Don't worry. She's just on her way to get Ayeka. But I need to see you, Tenchi." She snapped her fingers and Tenchi at first wanted to call his wings and slice the machine he knew was behind him.  
  
"Ah, you're up to something, aren't you?" he said with a sigh and resigned himself to his fate.  
  
"Bingo." She said merrily.  
  
"I knew it." He said as the arms wrapped around him, 'Some things I guess can't be changed.'  
  
In another part of the lab, Ayeka had just finished the arduous task of planting Ryo-oh's seed while not getting a speck of dirt on her clothes. Happy with her work she went to the waters edge, but before she could get some she heard Ryo-Ohki humming happily. "AHHHHH!" She screamed which scared Ryo-Ohki into screaming as well. "This is not a carrot!" The princess growled as she tried to protect her ship.  
  
Washu had taken Tenchi to a secluded portion of her lab, one she was confident that no one could find. "Blood, body fluids, hair samples... That's just about all of the physical samples." She intoned as she typed away at her computer while he hung clad in his boxers. "Psycho-layer pattern, over dimension, parallel pattern... They are all pretty well." she stopped a moment as she looked at the screen. "Now that's odd. Oh well must be the wings." She scratched her had as something seemed. unusual, but since she had no data on him before now she could not draw any conclusions on it.  
  
"Aren't we done yet?" He asked as something was holding his tongue out of his mouth. He felt pretty uncomfortable, and not only that his mouth was drying out and he was extremely hungry. "Have you got everything? Sasami's got breakfast for us." He tried to reason with her though he knew it was a lost cause.  
  
"I have all the samples I need for analysis..." She suddenly let out a funny scream and he knew what was going to happen next. Sighing he put his head down, as she said, "Well, except the most important one." She had a dangerous look to her eyes had he been looking. Quickly slipped on some gloves she turned around to face him, "I'm ready now."  
  
Luckily, the pinchers holding his tongue had released and he could talk, but what should he say? Washu looked extremely excited about this next part, but he was less than thrilled. "What's with that outfit?"  
  
"I'm an angel of mercy," she said snickering and he saw what appeared to be a blush on her face, but it was faint.  
  
'Sure you are,' he thought. "Washu, what are you doing?" His voice lacked all enthusiasm or care, he knew what she wanted and he said it mentally with her.  
  
"I just need some sperm samples." She noticed his look and told him, "Don't worry. I won't hurt you." She pulled open his pants and eyed him carefully, but he didn't respond save a slight sigh. "Do you want me to do it with my hands?"  
  
"No," he again said calmly and void of emotion.  
  
His lack of a response unnerved her and she looked at her self and felt rather put out that he wasn't getting more into this. "Then with my mouth?" She tried.  
  
"No," again he used the same calm emotionless voice.  
  
'What the hell?' She thought, 'I know what'll get him, "My cleavage?"  
  
"No," he said adding a sigh, which just served to annoy her more.  
  
"O.K. I'll give you a full course." She said adamantly.  
  
Tenchi was about to say another word when he felt a presence nearby, 'Thank the gods for Mihoshi.. At times.' he thought.  
  
"Excuse me." The blonde said from behind them. Washu stopped then turned around, "Excuse me," she said again.  
  
Washu pulled up Tenchi's pants so fast that he had to hold in a slight yelp of pain. 'Oh man that hurt,' he groaned.  
  
"Hey! How did you get in here?" The scientist demanded.  
  
"I came to get everyone because they're late. But I got lost, and I found myself here."  
  
"Got lost? This is not somewhere you can just walk into," she mumbled.  
  
"So, Washu, what are you doing?"  
  
Washu thought about what to say a moment then released his waistband, which snapped back against his skin. "Uh...we're playing doctor," she said as he groaned.  
  
"I see. Please continue," the blonde babbled and Tenchi wondered why he thought she would save him. Just moments later she had sat on the wrong thing. "Oh, no," she said jumping up trying to stop whatever it was she started as things started popping out of Washu's machines around her. "Something is wrong," she said as Washu tried to stop her.  
  
"What did you touch?" Washu demanded as more things went wrong faster than she could fix them.  
  
"This, I think," Mihoshi said hitting something else. "What a mess."  
  
"Please stop!" Washu cried as her machines were falling apart. "Don't touch anything."  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
"I just want to eat," he said as his stomach growled.  
  
"Where is everyone?" Sasami said as she sat wondering at a fully prepared table, but no one had joined her.  
  
It was later in the afternoon before Ryoko finished reading the comics she received from Sasami. She had a strange feeling that she'd read this book before, but she did not know how she could of or from where. "I don't really get it..." she said closing the book. "But if I follow this book, it'll work out."  
  
Looking out the window, she saw Tenchi working nearby and she decided to go ahead and give this a try. As she stepped outside Sasami, who was playing with Ryo-Ohki saw her. "Oh, boy. Here we go," she said to the cabbit who in less than a second had eaten a carrot.  
  
Outside Ryoko walked purposely up to Tenchi with the intention of accidentally bumping into him. Of coarse she bumped just a little harder than she needed, but it worked. "I'm sorry. Are you all right?" She said to him.  
  
"Uh...what?" he said getting up, 'Ouch. I had almost forgot about this. what was she thinking anyway?' Looking at her he decided to ask, maybe this time she would tell him, "Ryoko, what's the idea?"  
  
"I wasn't paying attention. I'm so clumsy," she told him blushing faintly.  
  
'I guess not, oh well maybe I can find out.'  
  
"How do you do? I'm Ryoko. This is so embarrassing," he watched as she said the same words over again, and then tried to act embarrassed, but he knew she was up to something.  
  
Inside the house Ayeka happened to see Sasami watching something, "What are you doing?"  
  
"Ayeka," Sasami said nervously and pointed outside.  
  
"What is it?" She looked out at where her sister was pointing to Ryoko and Tenchi.  
  
Ryoko couldn't shake the feeling that this was not going to work, but she hoped it would, "Can I ask your name?"  
  
Not knowing the real reason she was acting this way he tried the first things that came to mind, "Ryoko, are you sick? What's the matter?" He asked as he moved to put his hands on her shoulders.  
  
"Ohh..." she tried to think quickly, 'damn this is not working, wait.' she thought as an idea hit her. Giving him a push she said, "Tenchi, you are a bold one, aren't you?"  
  
"What's wrong with you?" He cried out in frustration.  
  
"Ryoko, your face is red. Do you have a cold?" Mihoshi said suddenly moving in close to Ryoko.  
  
'Damn,' Tenchi thought, 'Guess I'll have to find out later.'  
  
"Go away," Ryoko hissed at Mihoshi. "I'm at the important part," she tried to whisper.  
  
"I have a good cold medicine," the blonde said happily as she tried to help.  
  
"I don't want it." Ryoko tried and Tenchi tried to hide a grin.  
  
'Last time I was so confused, but this is actually kind of funny.'  
  
Grabbing Ryoko's arm and pulling her away, she told the pirate, "Sure you do."  
  
Of coarse Ryoko protested, "Hey, stop!"  
  
But it did not even faze the blonde as she pulled Ryoko away; "The key is to cure it early."  
  
"Let me go!" She hollered, but it did no good.  
  
"What's wrong with you?" she continued as she was pulled inside and up the stairs. "No, wait..." She tried again as Ayeka and Sasami watched.  
  
"What was that about?" Ayeka asked her sister.  
  
"Ryoko read Tenchi's father's books for research."  
  
Ayeka was completely confused. "Research?"  
  
Sasami took her to the library to show Ayeka the books, and after reading some she understood, "I see."  
  
Tenchi after wondering what could be Ryoko's problem started sweeping the stairs and after sweeping them from the top to the bottom he began the long walk back to the top. Unfortunately, he was so caught up thinking about why was Ryoko acting like that he forgot about Ayeka, and he tripped over a rope.  
  
"Are you all right?" She said coming out from behind him somewhere. "Oh, my god, you're hurt." He heard her say though he knew he wasn't. "Please use this," Ayeka then thrust handkerchief into his hand. "Don't worry about getting it dirty." After holding his hand for a moment, she withdrew saying, "Excuse me," before he could even think to say one word.  
  
Turning around and running down the steps she paused and turned to him, "My name is Ayeka." And then as she went a few more steps down he heard her say again, "Remember, it's Ayeka."  
  
Tenchi was so confused at what was happening, and he looked at the foot to see the rope wrapped around it. 'She tripped me? Why? What the hell was all that about?' Shrugging his shoulders he went to the shrine and began sweeping the paths there just incase anyone ever showed up to see them. Katsuhito, he knew was inside the office working on his witty sayings, 'I wonder if I should tell him what's going on?'  
  
"Hangers-on, though you may be friends..." Said Katsuhito as he thought of how to end it, "be more humble when you ask for seconds." He smiled as he thought about it, "One of my best, I'm sure." Getting up from his table he went outside to check on Tenchi and he noticed the two guardians, and behind them Ryoko and Ayeka. "Tenchi. Tenchi!"  
  
Tenchi had been so into his thoughts it took his grandfather's raised voice to reach him, "What is it, Grandpa?"  
  
"What are those girls doing over there? Are they playing some sort of game?"  
  
He shrugged, even reliving this he still didn't know, "I really don't know."  
  
"Hey, girls, why don't you come over here?" He called out to them.  
  
"Girls?" Ayeka said and then looked behind her other guardian. "How dare you use my guardian without my permission."  
  
"You're the one who's copying me."  
  
"How unpleasant. Let us leave."  
  
"Yes, ma'am."  
  
"Thanks for your help," Ryoko told one.  
  
"You're welcome."  
  
"They've been acting weird all morning," Tenchi then placed his hand on his forehead and chuckled. 'Even when not even thinking about it I'm doing everything like I did before.'  
  
"Tenchi are you ok?"  
  
"Yea, I." He stopped as he realized he's changed things, 'He didn't ask that before. Should I tell him? I need to tell someone, but how much do I tell him?' "Grandfather."  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can I come inside for a moment. I need to talk to you about something." Inside he was a nervous wreck, 'What if I screw everything up? What if I just destroy my past, and my future!'  
  
Katsuhito could easy tell that his grandson had something weighing heavily on him so he motioned Tenchi to follow him in. Sitting at his table he poured a cup of tea and wondered what this could be about.  
  
"I know this might sound strange. but. I've lived through all this before."  
  
"You mean like a dejavu? It's quite common at times, people think they have experienced things and to some it can seem quite unsettling, is that your problem?"  
  
"Huh what?! NO!" He said adamantly as his grandfather chuckled. 'He's not taking this seriously, now what?' Grinning, Tenchi came up with a plan, "I guess it could be called that, but I've met your mother."  
  
"WHAT!"  
  
'That got him,' he thought smiling. "I've meet the Queen, Funaho Jurai, and Misaki Jurai, and your father the Emperor."  
  
"HOW! Are they here?"  
  
"No, not yet, but in about three or four months they will show up."  
  
Katsuhito looked at him, "What are you getting at?"  
  
"I, am. not really from this time." he cringed inwardly, 'man this is gonna be tough to explain.' "You see just a few months after they left this other emperor showed up saying that Azusa pledged Ayeka to marry him to seal a pact between the two empires."  
  
"That sounds like father," the old man added smiling.  
  
"Yea, but Ayeka would not go and things kind of got."  
  
"Got what?"  
  
"Well he attacked us, and with Washu's help I was fighting him, but the girls were getting hurt." His voice cracked as he relived those horrible moments. "Mihoshi was first. her ship. it-it just." he began to cry as he watched her ship explode in his memories again. "I-I tried to save them. I just wanted to protect them. I pulled energy from my sword as I used the wings. but. Ayeka."  
  
"You pulled energy from the master key?" Katsuhito was not sure what to be, should he be proud of him for learning how to do it, or not. 'Did he just have a bad nightmare?'  
  
"Yes, but I also pulled from the gems." he pulled the sword out and looked at the two embedded gems. "I just wanted to protect them, I just needed to."  
  
"What happened?" Tenchi looked up at him, in a state of pure sorrow and shock and it was plain to him what happened, "I see, so you lost all of them?" Tenchi could only nod, as his voice was lost in his tears. "If that is true how did you survive and how did you get back here?"  
  
"I lost control. I-I let my anger take over.." His voice was weak and barely there, but he managed to get it out. "They turned red. I killed them. all of them."  
  
"RED! You killed them?" Again, Tenchi nodded.  
  
"I just let out one final energy wave and every ship was destroyed. then the earth. and Tsunami said about a hundred worlds before Jurai."  
  
"Not Jurai." Tenchi nodded his head in shame.  
  
"The goddesses were able to stop it though. but by then it was too late. I just wanted to die. I couldn't live anymore."  
  
"How could this of happened?"  
  
"They used my energy and reversed time. and then put me back in right before I killed Kagato."  
  
To say the least, Katsuhito was shocked. If this was true then the power Tenchi carried was a lot more than his own, but how? The hardest part was believing it. It sounded like Tenchi had a horrible nightmare, but he knew the Jurai Royal Family. "Can you describe Funaho?" He thought that possibly, Tenchi had just dreamed it, and if so then, he would not be able to do this. Tenchi though just began to describe, not only Funaho, but also Misaki, Azusa and even the ship they left in! Katsuhito knew that ship very well and to have him describe it, and them so detailed, he knew this was not just a dream. The only other question he could think to ask at this moment was not why, or how, but "What are you going to do now?"  
  
"I-I don't know. I came back, to tell her how I feel, but. I can't yet."  
  
'Her? So only one?' He thought, then he caught the 'yet.' "Why not?"  
  
Tenchi looked up and he had the most pitiful looked expression. "I can't, if I tell her now it will change the future. possibly for the worse." his grandfather raised an eyebrow at that. "There are still some things that have to happen, at least I think they have to happen. oh god, do I not want to do that again."  
  
"Do what?"  
  
"I-I don't want to say."  
  
"I see, well. can you tell me what happens in the future. besides them coming for a visit," he added with a weak grin. As depressed as Tenchi was he tried to think of something to get him to smile. He wanted to know which one was the 'her' that he had mentioned, be ht thought that he had a good idea.  
  
Tenchi held his sword for a moment looking at the gems, 'Can I last that long? Can I keep going on like I have been?' He bowed his head, closed his eyes and thought, 'Ryoko.'  
  
"Huh what?" Ryoko said, looking up from the book she was reading. She could have sworn someone had called her name.  
  
Floating out of the library as her mind was else where, she did not hear Ayeka's voice. "That's it."  
  
"Ah, my Tenchi..." Ayeka said in her dream.  
  
"What is it, Ayeka?" He replied. "Yes?"  
  
"I made it for you, Tenchi."  
  
"For me?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Ayeka..."  
  
"What have I done?" She cried as she saw that the sweater she was making had been made way too long.  
  
Ryoko in her own dream was thinking that she could win Tenchi over by cooking something special for him. In her dream, she would present him with something and he's say, "Mmm, good."  
  
"Really? I'm so happy." But in reality, she was having trouble. "I can't tell anything," she said, as she tasted what she was making. "Come on, taste it,' she told Ryo-Ohki, who after taking a taste reluctantly she fell over. "Oh, my. I wonder what's missing." She then began adding lots of ingredients, some that were never meant to be together, but she tried, singing as she went. "It's for love, love, love." However, it just did not seem to be working. Even she thought it looked bad, so she gave up on it. 'Damn it, why can't I cook? Hell why can't I seem to get any of this right,' she thought as she tried to think of what to do next. Since acting clumsy and cooking had not worked, she went back to the books and while looking through them, she found the best news possible.  
  
"I'm home," Tenchi called as he stepped through the door.  
  
"Welcome home," Ryoko and Ayeka chorused.  
  
Though he wanted to wrap his arms around her like his very life depended on it, especially after reliving those memories he tried to push that thought out of his mind and act normal since both were there. He then noticed them holding something and the look she had definitely told him she was up to something. "What is it now?"  
  
"L-listen, Tenchi." Ryoko said stuttering a moment, "We're a perfect match for each other."  
  
Noticing the book she was holding he tried to ask, "That's dad's book, isn't it? But it's--"  
  
"Tenchi, look! Right here!" Ayeka said quickly while sitting beside him showing him something in another book. "The love you find now is an eternal love." She kept reading as Ryoko tried to contain her anger. "Treasure it."  
  
Finally hearing enough out of the princess Ryoko shoved her away with her foot and placed a hand around the back of his head and on his opposite cheek so he could look at the book with her. "Perfect. February is the best month," she commented then began reading from it, "As our relationship deepens... We'll have the blessings of those around us."  
  
Ayeka put a sudden stop to Ryoko's reading by pinching the pirate's hand, and though Tenchi could have enjoyed that moment, she had been nearly crushing his head forcing him to look at it. "Wouldn't a good match with a monster be pointless, Tenchi?" Ayeka said tartly.  
  
"It was fate that brought us together, wasn't it, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked trying to not let the princess get to her, though she began to get a strange feeling that this had happened before, though she couldn't remember from where, or when.  
  
"Tenchi--" Both called as he sighed.  
  
'Guess I have to go through this again,' he thought.  
  
"Go away, monster," he heard Ayeka say and it hurt him, because deep inside he knew that he had become the same monster, that same killer.  
  
Trying to get his mind off of that he told them, "You know, those books are 10 years old."  
  
"What?" They both said confused and looked at their books.  
  
"But this one here is hot off the press," Washu said popping up from behind them. "Now, let's see... Oh, both of you are the absolute worst match for him."  
  
"What?" He heard the two of them say again, and he thought it was funny that Washu fooled them both.  
  
"On the other hand," she paused and then blushed; "Tenchi and I are a perfect match!"  
  
"Oh, really?" He said sighing, 'Yea right, a goddess and an earthling.'  
  
"I'm so happy," she told him while wrapping her arms around him, while Ryoko and Ayeka looked on angrily.  
  
Ryoko then got a better idea, and went to see someone, "If it doesn't work for Tenchi... I'll work on the old man and make myself the fiancée." Going to the shrine she bowed before him, "Grandfather... I'd like to build a family with Tenchi. Please help me."  
  
"You've been thinking far ahead." He said then began to wonder, 'It could be her, he seemed so upset and it wasn't until after he said she died that he completely lost control. But, I can't let on that I know. I know what I'll do. "All right. You have my blessing."  
  
When she left, it was hard to keep from laughing, "Piece of cake." However, when she saw Mihoshi and him talking she decided to hide and see what they were talking about.  
  
"You are such a hard-working young lady."  
  
"I must do something in return for your kindness."  
  
"I thank you. Well, Mihoshi... Do you have a boyfriend?"  
  
"Ohh..." she said giggling.  
  
"What do you think of Tenchi?"  
  
"Oh, this is so embarrassing," the blonde babbled.  
  
"If you were his girlfriend, I could rest easier."  
  
"But we're both young... And we have to find out how he feels about me." She continued while giggling, as Ryoko slipped away.  
  
He, over his shoulder, saw her leaving and he knew that she had been listening. 'She has to learn to talk to him directly, otherwise it won't work between them.'  
  
In the house, Ayeka had written a letter to Tenchi and was trying to get Ryo-Ohki to deliver it for her. "Understand? You must deliver this to Tenchi. Then, without Tenchi knowing... I'll give you the carrots that you love so much." Ryo-Ohki's eyes lit up at the mention of her favorite food. Crying out happily she grabbed the note from Ayeka and rushed to see Tenchi. Unfortunately, she hit her head on the door leaving Ayeka's room. "No need for such haste. Now I must leave also."  
  
When Ryo-Ohki reached Tenchi's door she jumped at it, and bounced back as she forgot to phase through it. Clawing at the door a moment in frustration, she then decided to try to phase again. She just had to get back to those carrots. Passing through it this time, she ran to him. "You're so clumsy," he said smiling. He then noticed the letter she held, "What do you have there?" Dropping it happily she jumped out of his hands and raced back to Ayeka's room, unfortunately she was in such a rush she forgot to phase through the door, yet again. "What's the big hurry?" He asked quietly then looked back at the letter.  
  
Entering Ayeka's room Ryo-Ohki called out for her to get the carrots. However, as she hopped around the room she realized that Ayeka, and the carrots were gone. Sitting on the floor, she began to cry as Ayeka was already climbing the steps to the shrine.  
  
Tenchi began reading the letter; 'There's something I want to discuss with you. I'll wait for you at the shrine after school.' When he got to that part he almost laughed this time. "After school?" Placing it back on the desk, he chuckled about that, 'Last time I was so confused, but this is funny!'  
  
Getting himself under control he went downstairs with the intention of actually going this time, to see what she wanted when Sasami called out to him, "Tenchi, good timing. Can you get me some vegetables for dinner?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
"I can't get away right now."  
  
Sliding open the door to the shed by the house, he saw what looked like several Ryo-Ohki shadows. 'Now I remember, all those Ryo-Ohki's.' He then had a sudden burst of inspiration; 'Well if we have to fight that guy again maybe we can use these Ryo-Ohki's in the fight?' Shaking his head, he remembered why they didn't do that before. 'I won't just use them to fight my battles, it's not right to use them like that.'  
  
Reaching his hand into the room he turned on the light, he remembered being scared before, but not now. "Ryo-Ohki?" He called then thought, 'I wonder if they're all called that?' Looking up he noticed the carrots and vegetables were gone. "They're gone!"  
  
His voice scared one and it dropped its carrot. Turning around he said, "Oh. It is Ryo-Ohki. You little--" He then stopped and fell backwards. 'I forgot how many of them there were! Ah man this means I'll have to get even more carrots. And they all like just like Ryo-Ohki, is the real one out here?'  
  
"Tenchi." Washu called as she stepped into the shed as well. He pointed at the sheer number of cabbits. "So this is the reason for the weird energy reaction." Clapping her hands, she told them, "Come on. Back to the pond."  
  
They looked so sad and a second one dropped it carrot to cry out in protest. Tenchi just couldn't tell them 'no', they looked so sad. "Oh, all right, then... But only one for each of you." The two that dropped theirs dropped to the floor crying out happily as they grabbed the carrots. Following those to the cabbits began floating back to the pond with their carrots and changing back into a crystalline shape.  
  
Coming out of the house Sasami called out, "Tenchi, don't you have the vegetables yet?" When she saw the cabbits, she exclaimed, "Wow. So many Ryo- Ohki's."  
  
"Those naughty crystals," Washu added.  
  
"I guess I'd better go to the fields," he said and after grabbing his tools, he went to the field, completely forgetting again to meet Ayeka.  
  
"T-Tenchi..." The princess called well into the night, "Isn't it after school yet?"  
  
The next morning, Ayeka was in the onsen, 'I can't believe Tenchi never showed up.' She was so tired; she had stayed up there for half the night before falling asleep at the shrine. She did not know how she got back home, and yet even now she was still tired. Closing her eyes, she drifted under the water only to come back out sputtering and coughing, "No more girls' comics for me."  
  
Ayeka let out a startled yelp as cold water was poured over her, "Did that wake you up, Princess?"  
  
"You nearly froze me to death."  
  
After warming up the two went to small waterfall to wash up. "Don't you think there are too many people in the way..." Ryoko said to Ayeka. "Like Washu and Mihoshi?"  
  
"On that issue, I agree with you."  
  
"All right, then," the two shook hands and both tried to squeeze the others hand in an effort to get the other to break first. Seeing that neither was going to win this they both let go and resumed washing.  
  
"We can create a force field and lock Washu inside..." Ryoko said, then added, "and we'll make Mihoshi go back to the Galaxy Police for a while."  
  
"You're so devious, aren't you?" Ayeka said laughing.  
  
'Earth-style or whatever... after all, we're both humanoid types. What we want has got to be the same,' Ryoko thought.  
  
Ayeka was thinking along the same lines though it was a little different, 'I'll wash and wash... and present myself to Tenchi in this beautiful skin... and he'll say, "Ayeka, you're so beautiful."' She could not contain a giggle as she thought of what could follow.  
  
'No need to be afraid.' Ryoko thought as though she were talking to him, 'Tenchi, just wait and see.'  
  
Going back up to the shrine to see his grandfather she put their plan into action, "Tenchi's grandfather, May I u-u-use your phone?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
When Mihoshi heard the phone ringing, she called out; "I'll get it. Hello. Masaki home." She giggled at that, "That sounds as if I've married into the family. How embarrassing. Do you think it sounds that way?"  
  
"Get a grip!" Ryoko yelled into the phone startling Mihoshi, and gaining Katsuhito's interest. "This is your nasty superior at the Galaxy Police," she said as he moved the table closer to hear the conversation.  
  
"Oh, hello. But how did you know I was here?"  
  
"An unimportant detail. Now hurry back to make your report."  
  
"Yes, sir. First-Class Detective Mihoshi is on her way," the blonde said saluting the phone.  
  
"O.K., good," Ryoko said and hung up the phone. "Gullible is an understatement." When she turned around, she saw that Katsuhito was closer than she remembered, "Huh?"  
  
Hanging up the phone Mihoshi thought out loud, "What am I going to do about a spaceship? What do I do?" She continued to wonder when Ayeka tapped her on the shoulder, "Oh, Ayeka."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm sure Washu will be able to get you a spaceship or two," the princess told her.  
  
"Really? Oh, thank you very much."  
  
After talking to Washu, the scientist took Ayeka, Mihoshi and Ryoko outside by the lake. "We just need to find your ship that fell into subspace, right?"  
  
"Can you do that?"  
  
"Police Ships are rare in this area... So it's easy to locate." Washu said as she typed away on her floating computer. "There it is!"  
  
"It would be nice to see Yukinojo. How wonderful, thank you."  
  
As the ship was pulled out of sub-space, something else also tagged along. Riding the ship like it was a tow a huge water spirit growled at the girls. It remembered at least two of them and it was not happy. Jumping down from the ship it landed in the water in front of them. Ayeka and Ryoko didn't forget about him either and the two of them started running for cover. All the while Ryoko was wishing she had at least one more gem.  
  
"Oh, no! What do we do?" Cried out Mihoshi, while Washu just looked at it calmly. As it approached them she just held out a finger and the creature vanished.  
  
"Having a foolish daughter is more work for mom."  
  
"Well, that sure was simple," Ayeka said to Ryoko.  
  
"Shut up. If only I had all my gems." Ryoko wished she had her gems back, but she wasn't sure how to ask for them back. Taking them by force was not an option as not only would Tenchi's sword hurt her, but it would hurt him for her to do that.  
  
That afternoon Mihoshi was ready to go, so she, Sasami and Tenchi were beside her ship saying their good-byes. Sasami and Mihoshi seemed the saddest, "Mihoshi," Sasami said sadly.  
  
"Tenchi, thank you for everything." The blonde told him.  
  
"Mihoshi," he started then changed his mind, "Good luck, Mihoshi."  
  
"I'll never forget the time I spent here, so..." Mihoshi tried to say more but couldn't.  
  
Tenchi noticed this as well and he began to think, 'I nearly forgot about this, she doesn't want to go, but if I tell her the truth she'll be hurt. And if I don't tell her then later she could only be hurt more.'  
  
"Mihoshi, are you really going home?" The little princess asked again sadly which brought him out of his thoughts.  
  
"I have to, because of my work."  
  
Sasami jumped forward grabbing Mihoshi's hands, "No, I don't want you to." Of all the girls around, she felt she understood Mihoshi the most. Unable to hold back the tears, she began crying.  
  
"I'm sorry. I don't want to...I don't..." The girls crying then affected her and Mihoshi began crying as well.  
  
"Sasami, don't be so difficult," he said then realized how bad it sounded. 'Great what do I do now.'  
  
"But..." The princess said then grabbed on to him.  
  
'Well I guess I can't make this any easier than it was before,' he thought then asked her, "Mihoshi, you can come back once you finish, can't you?"  
  
Mihoshi stopped crying and looked at him, "You mean you don't mind if I come back here?"  
  
Sasami stopped as well and looked at him as well, "Really, Tenchi?"  
  
Having both of them looking at him like this he knew the only answer, even though he knew Ryoko would not be happy about it. Inside he was hoping she would understand he was only saying she was welcome to come back. But he knew it was a false hope. 'She'll go away and then come back and it will be the same all over again. I want to tell them. I wish I could.' Taking a breath he told her, "Yes, you're welcome to come back."  
  
"I can't believe it!" She said happily, "I'll come back as soon as I finish my work. I'll see you again, Tenchi." She saluted him as a final goodbye.  
  
On the porch Ryoko and Ayeka saw the exchange, "I don't like that at all," Ryoko told her.  
  
"At least she won't be back for a while," Ayeka retorted.  
  
As the ship took off from the water Sasami called out one last time, "Mihoshi, come back soon!"  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko chorused, "Bye-bye, now. Don't come back for a long time." Ryoko though had a bad feeling that she would come back, and at the most inopportune time.  
  
That night, Ryoko had been able to not only tie Ayeka up, and gag her, but do it without anyone hearing and put her in the vegetable shed. "The last of them out of the way." Leaning down to a struggling Ayeka she mockingly said, "What? Good luck to me? You two are a good match? Such kind words from you." She floated up and backwards through the wall as she added, "See you, Princess."  
  
Ryoko crept through the house and stopped just outside his door. "Finally, Tenchi. Tonight I can finally..."  
  
She began to go though her entire scenario of what would happen, or what she hoped would happen, "Tenchi, are you awake?"  
  
She split into two separate Ryoko's and the other one asked as if it were him, "What's up? It's really late."  
  
"Tell me, Tenchi, do you like me or Ayeka?"  
  
"Well..." the double said.  
  
"Answer me, Tenchi." The second paused for a moment as it contemplated what he would say as for some reason this felt like she had done the same thing once before. "You love Ayeka." Ryoko told her double. "Is it because I punch holes in the ceiling and go through walls... and fly in the air?"  
  
"I don't mind any of that," the double said trying to comfort the first.  
  
"Then answer me, Tenchi."  
  
"I love you." The second responded slowly.  
  
"Tenchi!"  
  
"Ryoko!"  
  
Both then laughed, "Beautiful!"  
  
Hushing each other, they merged back into one Ryoko. "Let's see..." she said and approached his door cautiously. "You won't get any sleep tonight. We're going to get really wet." As she opened the door, she failed to notice the force field that was in place that instantly transported her to the lake. "Huh? Huh? Force field?" She felt anger and rage flash through her as well as something else a brief memory of the same thing happening once before. However she was so angry she ignored the brief memory all together. "Ayeka!"  
  
Phasing through the wall she landed on the floor outside his room again and was surprised to see Ayeka there, ""I'm glad I had that force field set up," the princess said smugly. "What manners. Trying to get into his room without even knocking."  
  
"You're cheating, Ayeka."  
  
"Who are you to say that?"  
  
"That really was a cheap trick," Ryoko told her.  
  
"And who fell for that cheap trick?" Ayeka retorted smartly. "At any rate, I won't let you lay a finger on Tenchi."  
  
Anger flashed through Ryoko, but she thought of a better idea. "All right, you win. You can go first."  
  
He plan worked as it confused Ayeka, "What do you mean go first?"  
  
"You're trying to get him into the sack, too, aren't you? It's O.K. I don't mind."  
  
"I'm not a woman of loose morals," The princess screamed back.  
  
"Really?" Ryoko leaned in closer to Ayeka.  
  
"What?" She was getting nervous, and she tried to take a step backwards.  
  
"A light makeup, a new nightie..." She sniffed the air, "And I can smell your pheromones." Wrapping her arms around herself Ryoko did a mocking impersonation of the princess, "My mind and body are pure. Make love to me. That's the message you're sending."  
  
Ayeka was not thrilled in the least With Ryoko's depiction of her, "That's not true!"  
  
"Don't you like Tenchi?" Ryoko stressed the like in hopes of flustering the princess.  
  
She was not sure what to say, if she said yes then Ryoko would just tease her more, or if she said no then, "Of course not." She realized she said that out loud and was suddenly very embarrassed.  
  
"Then why? It's natural to want to be with him... and make love with him if you love him."  
  
The princess was getting more and more embarrassed as Ryoko spoke, "I don't even know how he feels about me, and..."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And it's too soon for us."  
  
"In that case, I'll go first."  
  
Ryoko walked right passed a dazed Ayeka but she soon caught on to what the pirate had said. "Fine...huh?" She moved to block Ryoko, "Hold it. The point is not who will go first and who will go last. You won't get past me."  
  
"Fine. We'll settle things your way..." Ryoko told her, "by force." The two then started to struggle with the other, Ryoko wanting in to Tenchi's room and Ayeka keeping her out.  
  
"Leave Tenchi to me. He's too much to handle for a girl like you." Ryoko barked at Ayeka.  
  
As the two fought, Sasami walked past crying, "Tenchi! Tenchi!"  
  
"What's wrong, Sasami?" He asked.  
  
"I had a scary dream. Can I sleep with you?"  
  
"Where's Ayeka?" They heard him ask.  
  
"She's with Ryoko," Sasami told him.  
  
"Fighting again, I'm sure," the voice of Washu said from inside his room.  
  
Tenchi was hurt that they were fighting, and of all things over him. 'I wish I could tell them, tell them all the truth, but I can't yet.' He let out a defeated sigh, "Those two are impossible," Tenchi said as Sasami entered his room.  
  
Sasami cheered up, "Ryo-Ohki, you're here, too. I'm so glad."  
  
The two combatants heard Washu's voice, "Let's forget about them and we'll all sleep together."  
  
Just as soon as the door closed Ryoko and Ayeka ran to his door to find out what was going on in there, but they both forgot about the force field, again. "I wonder what that was," Tenchi said as he looked into the hallway."  
  
"Two wet fools who forgot to knock." Washu told him as she looked out the window at Ayeka and her daughter in the lake.  
  
"What?" Tenchi was confused; even this part of the day confused him still, even after reliving it twice. 'I guess I wouldn't understand no matter how many times I relive it.'  
  
"Nothing. Come on, let's go to sleep," Washu told him trying to pass it off.  
  
"So Sasami, what was your dream about?" He asked.  
  
"Let's see... A woman I don't know took you away."  
  
"Don't worry. I'm not going anywhere." He told her and he had a thought that the woman she did not know just might be Tokimi. Usually her dreams are things Tsunami shows her. At least that's what he had found out from Sasami later, much later, and in another time. 'Grandma, I don't know why I came back, I'm doing the same things over again, but this time it's worse! But why doesn't Tsunami trust you?'  
  
"O.K." Sasami responded and they all tried to go back to sleep.  
  
Ayeka and Ryoko crept out of the water; Ryoko was tired, and frustrated. Even if she had been able to get into his room nothing could have happened while Washu or Sasami was there. They both let out a sigh of defeat and fell to the ground leaning against the other. 'Why'd she put the force field there? And why was Washu in there with him? Did she get out, or did. she read my mind.' Ryoko bit back a growl as she remembered Washu once telling her that they were connected.  
  
A loud hissing noise was suddenly heard from the sky, "What's that sound?" Tenchi asked from the floor.  
  
Washu listened then told him, "It's Mihoshi's shuttle."  
  
"What?" He sat up quickly, 'Oh no! I forgot!'  
  
"This doesn't look good." Washu added.  
  
"Quick get everyone into your lab!" He told her frantically.  
  
"What?"  
  
"Just do it!"  
  
"Ok," she then moved the four of them to the lab, but it was still too late to save the house. Ayeka and Ryoko just looked up to see Mihoshi's shuttle heading straight for them and the house and all they could do was laugh as the light from the shuttle got brighter. Just before the impact a hand reached through subspace and pulled them both inside. Both fell against Tenchi and the three of them landed on the floor of Washu's lab with Sasami, Washu and Ryo-Ohki watching.  
  
'Why can't I remember things like this far enough ahead?' He wondered.  
  
Since the house was destroyed it was decided that they all would sleep in Washu's lab, and though there was a short exchange between Ryoko and Ayeka as to who got to sleep beside Tenchi neither of them had the strength to fight much. That was one thing he was thankful of at least.  
  
"It looks like another beautiful day." One of Ayeka's guardians said the next morning.  
  
"Such wonderful spring-like weather." The other responded, while behind them the house lay in ruins save one door.  
  
Inside Washu's lab, Ayeka was waking slowly and as she did, she looked around and saw Ryo-Ohki over where Ryu-Oh was being re-grown. "Get away!" Ayeka screamed waking up the others as she tried to save her ship. "I told you that isn't a carrot."  
  
The cabbit just smiled and crying softly, she looked over to the growing ship. Ayeka was surprised to see that her ship had already sprouted, "Ryu- Oh." The cabbit meowed a few times and hopped into Ayeka's lap as the ship sent several beams of light down from it's newly re-grown leaves. "I see. You're talking with Ryu-Oh."  
  
Though Tenchi had heard Ayeka scream, as had everyone else, he remained in bed. 'What am I going to do? I can't keep this up, I can't.' He opened one eye slightly to see Ryoko. 'I wish I could tell you, I wish I could tell you all. But can I wait any longer? It would be much simpler just to say it! I could just say it and the fights would be over, and. and. and Ayeka would be hurt, and so would Mihoshi.' He thought about all of the girls, and he knew how he felt about each of them, but how to tell them, and when seemed to be the hardest thing to find out. He knew that Sasami would understand, but it would take a while to get Mihoshi to, and if he told Ayeka, especially after the way they were fighting he knew it would not be pleasant.  
  
+++++ To be continued.  
  
NOTE: For those that noticed, yes I did skip what happens to Mihoshi in space and Sasami's dream. Those were not changed from their original. 


End file.
